Reddit mentions: The best business contracts law books

I'm linking my favorite products!

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Warning: if you hand write, you're going to be writing A LOT. I feel like I learn better when I do my class notes by hand, but I do have a hard time keeping up with the pace of the class. Each professor's teaching style has an impact on the way you take your notes. Be prepared to be flexible. (I hate that my note system is not uniform across my classes, but I know it is better that way)

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If you like pen-and-paper:

These spiral notebooks have durable brightly colored covers that will survive your backpack, and it is a good idea to keep your notes organized by subject. The paper is thick enough that good highlighter (which I will also link) won't bleed through.

These erasable pens are great. They write very smoothly and erase cleanly--NOT at all like the crappy blue erasable pens of our youth. If you take notes in your textbook, these pens are the way to do it. I love them so much that I was having them shipped from Japan before they even hit the US market.

These standard pens are my go-to for anything that I don't want to be erasable. They write smoothly, and dry quickly enough that they don't smudge or transfer (I'm not sure for left-handed people though).

This mechanical pencil is what I use when I can't use pens. I like that it uses .5mm lead so that your writing can be small and precise. The barrel is large so it is comfortable to write with for extended periods of time (think blue-book exams).

These highlighters are the best. The colors are intentional mild/pastel so that they do not distract from other information on the page, but are easy to spot when you're looking for your highlights. They don't bleed through paper unless it is toilet-paper thin. When they do bleed through very very thin paper, the mild colors make it so that it is not a distraction.

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If you like pen-and-paper, but are afraid of your notes being lost or stolen:

Rocketbook Everlast Notebook coordinates with an app that lets you create a digital copy of your notes. Scan a picture of the page, and the QR code on each page tells the app where to send a SEARCHABLE .pdf copy of your handwritten notes. It works with Google Drive, Evernote, Dropbox, OneNote, OneDrive, Trello, Slack, box, Google Photos, and email. Best of all, the notebook is completely reusable! (As long as you use writing tools from Pilot's Frixion line) Once you've filled the book, you wipe down the plastic pages with a hot damp towel and you can use the book again. I've filled and reused my Rocketbook 4 time so far, and the pages are still in great condition. I send my notes to Google Drive and OneNote, and I've never had any problems.

These highlighters can be used inside the Rocketbook, or on regular paper.

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If you're thinking about going digital:

Your school might provide access to note taking programs. My school provides the full Office 365 Online suite, so I used OneNote. I was a pen-and-paper person in undergrad, and it pains me to switch to digital, but I just need that copy/paste functionality.

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Textbook Supplies:

These sticky flags just came in the mail the other day, and I am loving them for use in my textbooks. I HATE writing in my textbooks, so instead I use these sticky flags to point at lines my professors emphasize in class.

These lined sticky notes are what I used when I just can't avoid adding notes to my casebooks. I avoid the "super-sticky" post-its because casebook pages are thin, and the super-sticky adhesive tears the pages when you reposition notes.

This book stand lives in my backpack now. When I started 1L year my back and neck hurt all the time from hunching over my casebooks for hours every day. This book stand makes it so the book comes to my face, instead of my face to the book. My posture is much better.

Reading glasses are something worth looking into and talking to your eye doctor about. After just one semester of staring at books and screens all day, I went from needing a mild prescription to see long-distance to needing full-on bifocals. I linked some glasses that will magnify your textbooks up close and and also filter out the blue light from screens. Talk to your doctor.

If you are assigned soft-cover reference materials, like The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, or Rule of Contract Law, you can take those books to FedEx or UPS, and they can spiral-bind them for you so that they lay flat and are easier to flip through. This can save you so much time on an exam.

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Most importantly, have a planner.

You can get one from the store, you can print pages on line, you can leave yourself sticky-notes, or you can write your to-do list on your hands, whatever. No matter how you record it, it is crucial to have plan and stick to it. You're about to be hit with an overwhelming amount of conflicting obligations and opportunities, and there will always be something you ought to be working on. Plan and schedule your study time. Take time away to take care of yourself, and make a note to keep up with friends and/or family. You're never going to have "free time" in law school, but you can definitely have some flex time if you make a conscious effort to make room in your schedule.

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Last: you don't need any of this stuff to be successful. Don't worry about what other people are doing, or even what the school tells you to do. If you feel like you do your personal best with a #2 pencil and loose leaf paper, then do that. Paying attention and managing your time wisely are far more important than having the perfect highlighters and the most organized planner.

I tried out lots of supplements my 1L year and by far the best contract book, for me at least, was Farnworth's student-version treatise:

http://www.amazon.com/Contracts-Edition-Textbook-Treatise-Paperback/dp/0735545405/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top/191-9403539-3481154

It's $45 but I think it's worth it. As with all hornbooks its a bit dense but it's very readable and it is very helpful with pretty much everything you'll do for the common law of contracts. It's detailed enough, even as a condensed version of his 3-volume-treatise, that you'll be able to use it for many years.

As for the UCC, if you get into it, the Sales and Leases E&E was very good. Some E&Es are good, some aren't so good, but I liked that one a lot. The other good E&E was the Civ Pro one by Glannon.

By the way you probably don't need supplements at the beginning of your 1L year; they'll come in handy once youre a month or two in and beginning to get the hang of things. I would advise you take the time at the start of the semester to check them out in your law school's library and see if they actually help you before buying any.

Thanks, looks useful. I was hoping there'd be something online, like this but for English law, but I guess that was being overly optimistic; nothing's free over here.

Looking more on Amazon, there seem to be 2 competing q&a series, Routledge and Oxford. Might pick between them depending on which seems better in each individual subject - e.g. for contracts I think I'm going to go for the Oxford one: their author is head of the Bristol Uni law dept, wheras Routledge's author is at "Lincoln Uni" (== Hull Polytechnic)..

Though I guess I'd not be losing much by trying one of each - you can get them practically free if you get one of the older versions second hand, and it's not like the law's changed much in the last couple of years in most subjects.

IMO it really depends on the subject and your style of learning.

Subject: The E&Es are good for some subjects and less good for others. I would look around on TLS and Amazon and see what supplements are highly rated for each subject. For example, many people think the "sailboat book" is the best for contracts. Gilbert's is another popular series of books (similar to E&E).

Style of learning: Some people find that they learn better from a book that's in outline format (like Gilbert's), while others prefer something that's more like a treatise (like the sailboat book). You might want to experiment with both and see what you prefer. Chances are your school's library has many of the supplements and you can go have a look at them there.

Definitely check out [Concepts and Case Analysis in the Law of Contracts] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/160930330X/?tag=lawschooltransferguide-20). That was my favorite supplement to use throughout the semester.

The [Contracts Crunchtime] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/1454870141/?tag=lawschooltransferguide-20) supplement is great for last minute finals prep.

Good luck!

A good starting point:

Working with Contracts: What Law School Doesn't Teach You (PLI's Corporate and Securities Law Library) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002ASFPLO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_FSsSCb6X7QBFX

A good reference guide:

Drafting Contracts: How and Why Lawyers Do What They Do https://www.amazon.com/dp/073556339X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_CUsSCbTDARNN9

I would highly recommend taking a transactional drafting course if your law school offers one.

WL and Lexis both have very good searchable libraries for finding boilerplate clauses and commonly negotiated provisions like indemnities. If you plan to go into real estate, check with your state's real estate council or bar association. They often publish annotated contract clauses that comform to state law.

Edit: spelling

Wow, that sounds like some great experience you've added to your resume! I definitely recommend the two books I used for the contract drafting course I took that I've included below. I actually referenced the first one a lot during my first year of practice.

1. Drafting Contracts: How & Why Lawyers Do What They Do, Second Edition
   
2. Working With Contracts: What Law School Doesn't Teach You, 2nd Edition
   
   Depending upon the area of law you end up in, you should check with your law librarians and have them show you some of the reference books that are popular in that area. For instance, there are times I have gone back to my law school's law library to reference entertainment & IP-specific resources. You don't really use them in law school, but those binders of books in the law library actually have tons of form and template agreements that can be referenced!

I loved Chirelstein's contracts companion. It was short and straight to the point. Funny too!

He might be referring to https://www.amazon.com/Concepts-Analysis-Contracts-University-Textbook/dp/1587781972

I found it to be pretty helpful in explaining general concepts. Also, he discusses some cases in there that will probably appear in your casebook. In those instances, I found it extraordinarily helpful.

I used Marvin Chirelstein's Concepts and Case Analysis in the Law of Contracts, highly readable, informative and packed with info. Read it probably three times throughout the semester, highly recommend

Everyone I know refers to it simply at "The Boat Book," because it has a boat on its cover haha

http://www.amazon.com/Chirelsteins-Concepts-Analysis-Contracts-Insights/dp/160930330X

Just skim some hornbooks. Here's a cheap Contracts one that you can read through in a couple sittings and will give you enough background to make sense of whatever outline you're winging it with -- it's what I used when I was in your position as a 1L with respect to contracts: https://www.amazon.com/Concepts-Analysis-Contracts-University-Textbook/dp/1587781972

I found this one very helpful - https://www.amazon.com/Concepts-Case-Analysis-Contracts-Insights/dp/160930330X

I found the CrunchTime to be very helpful for Evidence.

Making your own outline is overrated. Just find a good one and study that. Also, read this.

A Hornbook is a supplement that explains the legal concepts and black letter law in plain English. There is a Hornbook for every topic/course in law school. You'll want to keep these as a reference book post law school.

Example - (https://www.amazon.com/Contracts-Hornbooks-Joseph-Perillo/dp/0314287701)

Amazon Link

https://www.amazon.com/Contracts-Textbook-Treatise-Paperback-Student/dp/0735545405

I got the ebook on Amazon but I think it's on Lexis too.

Are you using this Rules supplement? There are practice questions in the back.

BOAT BOOK

https://www.amazon.com/Examples-Explanations-Contracts-Brian-Blum/dp/1454868414/ref=dp_ob_title_bk (7th Edition)

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https://www.amazon.com/Examples-Explanations-Property-Barlow-Burke/dp/145485006X (5th Edition)

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https://www.amazon.com/Emanuel-CrunchTime-Property-Steven-L/dp/1454870222 (5th Edition)

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https://www.amazon.com/Emanuel-CrunchTime-Contracts-Steven-L/dp/1454870176/ (6th Edition)

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https://www.amazon.com/Siegels-Contracts-Brian-N-Siegel/dp/0735556865

You can probably find it at your school's law library. It has - maybe 100-120 or so MC questions and probably 25 essay questions. (Going from memory here, but it's in that neighborhood.)

I don't think any of us can give you that sort of commentary, unfortunately. Giving any sort of legal advice (even basic stuff like you're requesting) really isn't an option. As the above noted, not all of us are barred in the relevant jurisdiction (I'm not) and even if we were, it could leave us open to liability or problems down the road with the state disciplinary board.

It sounds like your daughter's ex-roommate is a bitch and a half; hopefully you'll be able to get some resolution for her.

By the way, there's some pretty straightforward information in this book that might answer some of your questions. It's quite short, and not terribly opaque. It's not going to give you specific answers (it's a general overview of contracts; not specific to any state) but it will at least let you know the right questions to ask a locally barred attorney.

Apparently he's no longer doing the Barbri lectures. Heres an amazon link for his "Law School Legends" series of lectures https://www.amazon.com/Law-School-Legends-Audio-Contracts/dp/0314282599/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1510583928&sr=8-3&keywords=David+Epstein+Contracts

But before you buy them, check with your school's library to see if they have a set that they lend out (mine did).